Essilor Stellest 2.0 glasses lenses: parents’ guide

• Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses – powered by H.A.L.T. MAX technology, is the newest generation of the Essilor® Stellest® lens.
• Compared to the previous generation, Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses deliver a stronger signal for slowing myopia progression, and are more effective at slowing eye growth in children.
• Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are compatible with a larger range of frame choices, while keeping the same benefits of the previous generation lens, such as polycarbonate material and premium lens coating.

Myopia (near-sightedness) is a vision condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but objects at a farther distance appear blurred. 

Typically, myopia develops during early childhood as a result of the eye’s length (axial length) growing faster than the normal expected rate. As this usually continues into late adolescence, uncontrolled eye growth can lead to vision impairment and a higher risk of eye diseases later in life, even at low levels of myopia.1 

Designed to help slow the progression of myopia, Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses provide clear vision while supporting long-term eye health. Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are the latest innovation in myopia management and builds on the proven success of its predecessor – the first generation Essilor® Stellest® lens. 

Essilor® Stellest® lenses were first launched in 2020 and remain the first and only glasses lenses to receive U.S. FDA market authorisation for slowing myopia progression in children.2

Traditional single vision glasses and contact lenses correct vision, but do not provide any protection against the worsening of myopia in the future. Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are designed to fill this gap using an advanced optical design known as H.A.L.T. MAX technology.

The first generation of Essilor® Stellest® lenses were powered by H.A.L.T. technology, which consists of an outer zone with more than a thousand tiny lenses (lenslets) arranged over 11 rings.3 

Altogether, the lenslets in the outer zone create a volume of non-focused light in front of the retina (the light sensing layer at the back of the eye), that slows down the elongation of the eye to control the progression of myopia. The lenslets work in tandem with a clear central zone, about 9 mm wide, that ensures sharp vision.

The second generation Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are powered by H.A.L.T. MAX technology – an evolution of the principle used in the first-generation lens. In Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses, the lenslets are designed with stronger optics and the design incorporates an additional ring of lenslets (12 rings in total). These changes aim to provide twice the signal for slowing myopia progression, to deliver better results in keeping myopia stable.

Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses maintain the same trusted features as the first-generation lens. 

They are suitable for a wide range of prescriptions, up to high levels of myopia and suit children who also have astigmatism. The lenses are manufactured in impact-resistant Airwear® polycarbonate, which is lighter and thinner compared to conventional lens materials – making them ideal for young, active children. All lenses are available with Crizal® protective coating for smudge-free vision and easy cleaning.

Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are now compatible with a wider variety of frame options, as the lenses are available in a larger size (up to 75 mm diameter) compared to the original Essilor® Stellest® lens (up to 70 mm diameter). In addition, the lenses feature unique micro-engravings to make it easy to identify them from the previous generation.

If your child has myopia, they’ll need either glasses or contact lenses to see clearly. Choosing between Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 glasses or myopia control contact lenses (both of which can slow down myopia) typically depends on your child’s lifestyle, hobbies and your family preferences. Each approach has unique advantages, so some children even wear both on alternative days (not at the same time)!

Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 glasses are simple and safe – put them on in the morning, wear them through daily activities, and take them off at bedtime.

Nearly a decade after its introduction, Essilor® Stellest® lenses have become an established option for myopia management, with a wealth of strong evidence supporting its use in children. These include managing myopia over the long-term (up to 7 years), and the potential to treat children at risk of myopia.4-6

With this track record in place, in 2025, researchers in Singapore compared the next-generation Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses against the original Essilor® Stellest® lenses in a 12-month clinical trial.7 Children in the study each wore an Essilor® Stellest® lens in one eye and an Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lens in the other. After 6 months, the lenses were switched for a further 6 months.

The key findings from research were:

• Eye growth was 1.88x slower with Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 than the previous generation
• Myopia progression was 2x slower with Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses than the previous generation
• Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses were especially more effective for younger children (aged ≤8.5 years), and those with faster eye growth.

These results were achieved in children as young as 6 years old who wore their glasses at least 13 hours per day, 7 days per week, suggesting that they found it easy to wear the glasses consistently.7

Despite their improved effectiveness in managing myopia, there are no compromises when wearing Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses in terms of vision clarity or comfort. 

There is no difference in visual acuity (image clarity) between the first and second generation of lenses, whether the child is viewing through the central zone or the outer lenslet zone.8 In addition, neither lens has shown to have any negative impact on eye alignment or depth perception.8 

The first generation Essilor® Stellest® lenses have been clinically proven to provide clarity that is just as good as standard glasses.9,10 The treatment areas are nearly invisible, and organised in a way that allows children to see clearly far away and up close, without interfering with the natural function of the eyes. Children who can normally achieve 20/20 vision in standard lenses are able to achieve similar vision in the Essilor® Stellest® lenses.3,10

Wearing time is very important when using Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses to treat myopia. You should encourage your child to wear their glasses full-time (as their main pair of glasses), except when sleeping or showering. 

This rule is the same whether your child is wearing spectacles or contact lenses for myopia management. Myopia treatments work best when worn full-time and every day.11 If the lenses are not being worn on some days, or being worn for a shorter period of time each day (e.g. just at school and not at home), this may lead to a lowered effect.

Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are the most effective myopia management lenses from Essilor®, using a new and improved design that builds on the success of the previous generation. Ask your optometrist or eye doctor to find out whether Essilor® Stellest® 2.0 lenses are available in your country, determine your child’s suitability, and answer any questions you may have on kids, glasses and myopia.